For many people, learning a new language can be a formidable undertaking. It can be especially difficult to learn a character-based language, such as a language that uses unique characters or symbols for distinct words rather than a combination of letters drawn from a limited alphabet.
A variety of methods are used to help people learn a new language. One potentially effective method is to incorporate the learning process into a game so that amusement or competition supplants the uneasiness people frequently feel toward learning something new. As the players are being entertained by their participation in the game, repeated exposure to visual or verbal language elements of the game act to familiarize the players with the desired aspects of the language.
A principal challenge to educational games directed at learning a language, however, is the vast vocabulary typical of virtually all languages commonly used today. It is desirable for the game's participants to not only be able to associate new vocabulary words with the things they represent, but to also learn the proper pronunciation of those words.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a game that stimulates players of various ages and proficiency levels to learn a language interactively in a manner that is both fin and challenging, and that is adaptable to accommodate new words or phrases to be learned as a player becomes more proficient.